Demountable wall for buildings



June 29, 1954 R. l.. slERlNG DEMOUNTABLE WALL FOR BUILDINGS Filed Dec. 19, 1949 my. n YE P Patented June 29,V 1954 DEMOUNTABLE WALL FOR BUILDINGS Robert L. Siering, New York, N. Y., assignor to Johns-Manville Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 19, 1949, Serial No. 133,746

10 Claims.

The instant invention relates to improved wall or partition assemblies for sub-dividing space in oice buildings and the like and is an improvement on certain features of the construction shown in Patent No. 2,316,980 issued April 20, 1943, to L. C. Sigloch et al.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a wall assembly oi the type shown in said patent, but which will have more rigidity and greater ease of erection and alteration.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a wall assembly embodying an improved stiffening rail and cooperating molding structure.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a wall assembly involving a plurality of aligned panels, the assembly including a rail extending longitudinally or the 'upper edges of the panels and molding strips resiliently engaging the outer faces or the panels and in removable interlocking engagement with the rail.

My invention will be more fully understood and further objects and advantages thereof will become apparent when reference is made to the more detailed description of the invention which is to follow and to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective View of an assembly of wall panels in accordance with the invention, with parts broken away for clear-ness of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a stiiening rail employed in the structure of Figs. l and 2; and,

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a molding member for cooperation with the stiffening rail.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Fig; 1, there is shown a wall or partition comprising an assembly of aligned panels l0 in edge abutting relationship. The panels may be im- `perforate throughout their areas or they may include window or door openings where the latter are desired.

The specific construction of the panels l0 is not critical to the instant invention and may take different forms, the construction shown in Fig. 2 of said prior Patent #2,316,980 being suitable. Such panels include a trame with the Stiles projecting beyond the top and bottom of the panel, as indicated at i2. The frame encloses an intermediate core structure i4. Facing sheets IB overlie the core and frame. As shown in said prior patent, the upper projecting ends i2 of the stiles may carry caps IS, and suitable means such as bolts, indicated in the instant drawing at IS and illustrated more fully in the prior patent, may be employed to connect stile ends of adjoining panels.

In accordance with the instant invention the assembly includes a stifening rail it extending longitudinally of and resting on the upper edge of the assembly of panels, and molding strips 22 for cooperation therewith. The stiilening rail (see particularly Fig. 3) includes a central section 2li and lateral flanges 2S, the anges being separated from the central section by integral U-shapcd portions 28 defining downwardly opening pockets 3Q, the latter being substantially1 in line with, but slightly outwardly of the surfaces of the panels. Flanges 2S extend upwardly and outwardly from the U-shaped portions, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, and are integrally joined to downwardly extending sections 32 which ter- Ininate in inwardly projecting lips 35,. The stiffening rails are made o a relatively stiff material such as sheet steel of 0.040 to 0.065 inch in thickness.

The molding strips 22 (see particularly Fig. e), preferably madeof a lighter gauge springy material, are roughly ."shape in cross-section. the apex 36 of the V pointing downwardly and inwardly toward the faces of the panels. The inner arm 38 of the V extends upwardly and is bent on itself to denne a double thickness marginal section 40 adapted to be received within pocket 30. A longitudinal, inwardly projecting bead i2 is formed in the arm intermediate apex 3 and the upper edge of the double thickness marginal section, the inner thickness of the latter overlying the rear of the bead. The molding strip also includes an arm /il extending outwardly and upwardly from apex it and terminating in a return bend 46 dening a pocket it adapted to receive lip 34 of the stiiening rail. It will be appreciated. that pockets Sli and 43 are made of a width to snugly receive marginal section i0 and lip 3i, respectively.

In assembling the structure described above a stiiening rail 2E] is mounted on the upper edge of the previously assembled panels. Molding strips 22, which have their legs relatively widely spread apart when in their relaxed position (see Fig. 4) are then placed in position by inserting marginal section t0 into the pocket 3o and then springing arm M inwardly until lip 34 can enter pocket @8. Either the apex 3E or the bead 42 or both, depending upon the particular shape ci the upper margins of the panels, are thus pressed into yielding engagement with the panels. The resilient characteristics of the molding hold it firmly in position against accidental removal, although permitting it to be readily removed when desired. For example, if a wall is to be disassembled or a single panel is to be removed, leg 44 may be pressed inwardly until the lip 34 is clear of pocket 48 and the molding strip then removed by a downward pull. The double thickness marginal section 40 provides the necessary strength to enable the molding to exert the desired stilfening effect, without at the same time increasing the thickness of the material to such an extent as to make the strip difficult to fabrica-te or .-assemble. If it is desired to extend the partition structure to the ceiling of the room or space, supplementary panels t may be mounted in the channel-dened by the inner walls of U-shaped portions 28.

The construction described aboveprovides for easy assembly and disassembly of the wall structure and, at the same time holds the several panels in alignment and prevents rattling between the several parts of the partition where the latter is subject to vibration. Any .desired .panel of the partition may be removed by first removing the molding strips at the location of such panel, and then disconnecting the bolts where such are employed as in the prior construction of Patent No. 2,316,980. A wall of greater overall-.stability than those previously known is thus achieved without loss of ease of erection and alteration.

Having thus described my invention in rather full detail, it will be understood that these details need not be strictly adhered to butthat various changes and modifications may suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, all falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

l. A wall comprising an assembly of aligned panels, a rail extending along the upper edge of the assembly, said rail including longitudinally extending inverted U sections, the legs of the U sections defining downwardly open pockets, flanges extending outwardly from the U sections, and moldings resiliently engaging the opposite faces of the assembly and including portions received within the pockets andportions in interlocking engagement with said outwardly extending anges of the rail.

2. A wall comprising an assembly of aligned panels, a rail extending along the upper edge of the assembly, said rail having longitudinally extending inverted U sections, the legs of the U sections dening downwardly opening pockets adjacent the faces of the assembly, and flanges extending outwardly and then downwardly from the U sections, and moldings resiliently'engaging the faces of the assembly and including portions received within the pockets and portions in interlocking engagement with said flanges.

3. A wall comprising an assembly of aligned panels, a rail extending along the upper edge of the assembly, said rail having longitudinally extending inverted U sections, the legs ofthe U sections deflning downwardly opening .pockets adjacent the faces of the assembly, `and flanges projecting upwardly and outwardly from the vU sections and then downwardly and terminating in inwardly directed lips, yand moldings resiliently engaging the opposite faces of the assembly and including arms received within the pockets and arms in interlocking engagement with said lips.

i. A wall comprising an `assembly of aligned panels, ra rail extending along the upper edge of the assembly, said rail including'.longitudinally extending invertedl U sections, the'legs of the :U

Cil

sections defining downwardly opening pockets adjacent the faces of the assembly, and flanges projecting outwardly and upwardly from the U sections and then downwardly to terminate in inwardly projecting lips, and moldings including arms resiliently engaging the faces of the assembly and received within said Dockets and outwardly projecting arms in interlocking engagement with said lips.

5. A wall comprising an assembly of aligned panels, a rail extending along the upper edge of the assembly, said rail including a longitudinally extending inverted U section, the legs of the U section delining an inwardly opening pocket adjacent a face of the assembly, and a flange projecting outwardly and upwardly and then downwardly from the U section and terminating in an inwardly projecting lip, and a molding formed of resilient strip material bent into substantially V- shape to denne an arm received within said pocket and an arm in interlocking engagement with the lip.

6. A. wall comprising an assembly of aligned panels, a rail extending along the upper edge of the assembly, said rail including longitudinally extending sections of inverted J-shape, the legs of the '1J-shaped sections deiining inwardly opening pockets adjacent the faces of the assembly, and ianges projecting outwardly and upwardly and then downwardly from the U-shaped sections and terminating in inwardly projecting lips, and moldings each formed of resilient strip material bent into V-shape to define an arm having a. bead in engagement with a face of the assembly, and an upper marginal portion received within one of said pockets, and to define a second arm having a portion in interlocking engagement with the lip.

'7. ln a stifiening structure for a wall including a plurality of aligned panels, a rail to extend along the upper edge of the assembly and having a longitudinally extending section of inverted U-shape, the legs of the U-shaped section defining a pocket, and a flange projecting outwardly from the U-shape-:l section, and a molding formed of resilient strip material bent into substantially V-form and including an arm received within the pocket and an arm in interlocking engagement with the outwardly projecting flange of said rail.

8. In a stiilening structure for a wall including a plurality of aligned panels, a rail to extend along the upper edge of the assembly, said rail having longitudinally extending sections of inverted U- shape, the legs of the 1-shaped sections, denning downwardly opening pockets, and flanges projecting outwardly and upwardly and then downwardly from the U-shaped sections to terminate in inwardly directed lips, and molding strips resiliently engaging the opposite sides of the assembl each of the molding strips comprising resilient strip material bent into substantially V- form to define an arm having a marginal portion received within a pocket of the rail and an outwardly projecting arm in interlocking engagement with one of said lips.

9. In a stiffening structure for a wall including a plurality of aligned panels, a rail to extend along the upper edge of the assembly, said rail having longitudinally extending sections of inverted U-shape, the legs of the 'LJ-shaped sections deiining downwardly opening pockets, and flanges projecting outwardly from the U-shaped sections, and molding strips resiliently engaging the side walls of the assembly, each molding strip comprising strip material bent into V-shape to delateral edges so that the two generally parallel l0 legs of each U section are disposed generally normal to the web with one of the legs of each U section disposed laterally outwardly of the other leg or each section, the outer leg of each of said sections having at its end remote from the closed portion of the corresponding U section a flange extending in a reverse direction relative to said end of each outer leg and inclined laterally out- 6 wardly therefrom, each of said inclined flanges terminating in a reversely directed iiange lying generally parallel to the legs of the U sections and in turn terminating in an inwardly directed lip.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,219,208 Zaner et al Mar. 13, 1917 1,224,315 Otte May 1, 1917 1,542,481 Spiro June 16, 1925 1,716,624 Dawson June 11, 1929 1,716,625 Dawson June 11, 1929 2,121,213 Small June 2l, 1938 2,159,296 Sharp May 23, 1939 2,302,047 @lsen Nov. 17, 1942 

